French to boycott American products ?

[HershOstropoler]

I was asking because small farmers outside cooperations find it ever more difficult here to survive...

Spiff: "The French language and culture are used as elements defining what makes you French rather than something else."

That's even more true for Germany, as it lacks symbols like the revolution, la Republique etc. Still there is less of a fuss about it. I'd also use Austria as a comparison, but I actually have no idea what makes us a nation, apart from being different from the germans....

"It would be also a loss, because French is a beautiful language."

I'd prefer Occitan, that you bastards almost eradicated...

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by HershOstropoler
Spiff: "The French language and culture are used as elements defining what makes you French rather than something else."

That's even more true for Germany, as it lacks symbols like the revolution, la Republique etc. Still there is less of a fuss about it. I'd also use Austria as a comparison, but I actually have no idea what makes us a nation, apart from being different from the germans....

I have yet to understand on what lies the Austrian identityt. Maybe the old grandeur of the Habsbourgs ? But for Germany, the link is clear : common ethnicity. All the German nationalism (i.e construction of national identity) comes from that, as shown by the quasi absence of ground-right until very recently.

"It would be also a loss, because French is a beautiful language."

I'd prefer Occitan, that you bastards almost eradicated...

While our cultural standardization was highly utilitaristic, as Az would say , it was terrible for local languages. We are slowly reopening non-French speaking schools in areas having a local language, but it's leading to the other extreme of children not mastering French enough.

[DuncanK]

Originally posted by Spiffor
A definite weakening of the French language because of English (there is a difference between enriching our language with "some" foreign words, and having most of our language replaced, as per the theory quoted above) would be bad for the French sense of community.

It would be also a loss, because French is a beautiful language.

French is beautiful. The dominance of the English language has nothing to do with it's superiority over French. It he has to do with geography and economics. Too bad, but nothing can change that. I think eventually English will be everyone's first language. That can't be stopped.

[Bereta_Eder]

Highly unlikely that english will become everyone's first language.

The lingua franca ( )* of the 18th century was french before it was latin before it was greek.
and in some centuries maybe it will be another language than english.

they come and go.


*(lingua franca means the language that we use to communicate when not talking with our own language group, and it also means french language)

[Bereta_Eder]

Actually I used to hope english would be or was in its way to be the second language of the EU, that everyone will speak it as their second language and all europeans would be able to communicate even marginally in it but that hope was vanished after travelling throughout Europe and in particular in countries like Italy where few spoke english (or any other foreign language).

Interpretors will always be needed, the everyday people are not the people of universities or multinationals that most of them usually have some grasp of english.

[Sandman]

It seems to me that anti-French bigotry is becoming part of American identity. Not that that's backed up by research or anything.

I can only hope that the French continue their mature attitude to the merde being thrown their way by the Americans.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by HershOstropoler
I'd also use Austria as a comparison, but I actually have no idea what makes us a nation, apart from being different from the germans....

You mean "desparately wanting to be different", right?

[Az]

Spiffor: "Utilitaristic" Cool new word.

Paiktis: so do europeans want to become a superstate, or not?

[Arrian]

Brilliant analysis, Sandman. The depth of your knowledge regarding American identity staggers me.

-Arrian

[Bereta_Eder]

I think that "anti-frenchism" (sic) also comes a bit from a "transfusion" of British antifrenchism to the US. (sicne UK and US are closer than US and other european countries = language etc)

But it really seems to be taking some more serious proportions in the US whereas in the UK it is more of a joke I'd think.

[Bereta_Eder]

Azazel, it depends on who you ask.

[Arrian]

It's still a joke here, Paiktis. Nobody actually hates the French. The people who are getting "serious" about it shouldn't be taken seriously - they're morons.

-Arrian

[Sandman]

Glad to hear it. I hereby retract my comment.

[Az]

paiktis: I am talking about the majority throughout europe. What's its' stance?

[DuncanK]

Originally posted by paiktis22
Highly unlikely that english will become everyone's first language.

The lingua franca ( )* of the 18th century was french before it was latin before it was greek.
and in some centuries maybe it will be another language than english.

they come and go.


*(lingua franca means the language that we use to communicate when not talking with our own language group, and it also means french language)

Do you have an argument to support this or is this just a guess?